Argentina Transport

Air

Every provincial capital has its own airport, and there are many others, specially in tourist areas such as Bariloche and El Calafate. The Ezeiza International Airport, about 35 km (22 mi) from downtown Buenos Aires is the largest in the country. The national airline is Aerolíneas Argentinas. Most companies have several daily flights to the most popular destinations, and daily or less frequent flights to other destinations. There are flights between important cities, such as Córdoba, Rosario and Mendoza.

Train

The international route is from Buenos Aires to Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil. A connection between Chile and Argentina is under construction. Note these services are frequently disrupted and you should always leave enough time for delays.

Bus

Argentine long distance buses are fast, affordable and comfortable. For long distance buses it is advisable to buy a ticket several days in advance of your trip. The Retiro bus terminal is large and hidden behind Retiro train and Subte stations. Watch your belongings carefully at Retiro as it is often crowded and there have been reports of thefts and even muggings at night.

Ferry

Regular catamarans routes link Buenos Aires with Montevideo and Colonia in Uruguay, include a slow (3 hours) and rapid (1 hour) ferry service that departs several times a day to Colonia. The main ports can be found in Buenos Aires, Quequén and Bahía Blanca.

Car

The most important of highways is probably the Panamerican National Route 9 Buenos Aires – Rosario – Córdoba freeway. The longest continuous highways are National Route 40, a 5000-km stretch along the Andes range and the 3000-km sea-side trunk road National Route 3, running from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.

Get around

Air

Domestic flights tickets are expensive, and most domestic flights pass through Buenos Aires' domestic airport Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. The airport services Aerolíneas, Austral, Blue Airlines, Líneas Aéreas del Estado and Southern Winds. LADE (LINEAS AEREAS DEL ESTADO) flies mostly to some smaller cities and mostly to the south of Buenos Aires. They have much lower, fixed prices, but often delayed or canceled flight. So if you are on a very tight schedule or connecting to an international flight, maybe you should ask them first.

If you fly on your international trip to Argentina with Aerolíneas you sometimes get discounts on domestic flights. Sometimes you even get free flights with your international ticket but keep in mind that you pay it with your international ticket.

Train

There are trains from Buenos Aires to Tucuman, Cordoba, Rosario (from Retiro station), Bahia Blanca and Mar del Plata (from Constitucion station) among others. Also some limited services in and out of Viedma and Bariloche. The rail network is very limited, and the service is much worse, but the price is unbeatable. One of the major long distance train operators is Ferrobaires, you can see more information on their website.

An amazing train ride is the Tren a las nubes (Train to the Clouds) in the northwestern province of Salta, but some people may get altitude sickness.

Bus

Bus travel is the most common way to travel from city to city within Argentina. Argentina boasts an outstanding short and long-distance bus network. In Buenos Aires, Retiro has up to 2, 000 bus arrivals and departures per day, and multiple companies serve most destinations. The more expensive buses generally offer high-quality service. Remember that although buses usually arrive to their destination a little late, they almost always leave on time.

Car

Travelling by car allows you to visit locations that are hard to reach by public transportation. Patagonia, in the South of Argentina, is a popular driving location among tourists due to the breathtaking views across many miles of open land.

Traffic regulations in Argentina are generally the same as in the US or Europe, but the local often ignore the regulations. Maximum speed: 60km/h in the city, 40km/h on side roads and 100km/h to 130km/h on roads outside the city as well as on highways. However speed limits and lane markings are universally ignored, and running red lights is common. Make sure you are thoroughly confident in your driving skills before attempting to drive in Argentina.